Why Americans Are More Interested In Water Safety

Why Americans Are More Interested In Water Safety

“Relax, it’s just water!” is a statement we’ve probably all heard several times in our lives. Whether it’s a pool that looks a little too dirty, or a glass of unfiltered tap water, many Americans have historically viewed water as something consistently neutral, something not worth their concern. However, that assumption is rapidly disappearing. According to a recent survey, only 47% of Americans say they feel “extremely or very confident about the safety of their drinking water.”

Due to a number of recent studies and controversies, Americans care about their water now more than ever. But why?

Less Trust in Untested Water Sources

In the April of 2014, over 100,000 residents in Flint, Michigan were told that their public drinking water was contaminated with dangerous levels of lead. The cause? Untested and poorly treated water from the Flint River. Ever since this crisis, people across America have been adamant about demanding better testing and treatment, and many states have introduced bills to make sure such a crisis does not happen again.

Greater Awareness of Water Safety

Since the Flint crisis, average Americans have become much more aware of general water safety. In addition to lead, people are now concerned about a number of threats to their drinking water, including:

Arsenic: A naturally occurring contaminant, arsenic is commonly found in private water wells and other ground water resources. Arsenic has a number of short and long term health consequences including nausea, skin problems and even increased cancer risk. Luckily, arsenic can be easily tested for and treated if discovered in your water supply.

Nitrates: Although naturally occurring and relatively harmless in small quantities, nitrates can still pose a threat when present at levels of `10ppm or higher. Water with high concentration of nitrates is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and young children. However, nitrate levels can be lowered to acceptable levels through proper treatment.

Chlorine & Fluoride: Unlike nitrates and arsenic, Chlorine and Fluoride are added to water by humans. While these chemicals have certain benefits related to disinfection and dental health respectively, they are also associated with troubling health risks including certain cancers, as well as thyroid and immune system disruption. These harmful chemicals can be detected through testing, and can also be filtered out of your tap water.

Heavy Metals: As pipes age and corrode, harmful heavy metals like lead, aluminum can make their way into your tap water. In high enough quantities, these heavy metals can cause nerve, brain and kidney damage.

Growing Interest in Health and Wellness

Water is absolutely essential to human health. After all, the body of an average adult is 50-65% water! As information regarding health and fitness becomes more accessible, more and more people are adopting higher standards for the food they eat AND the water they drink.

As more concern arises about the healthiness of tap water, bottled water sales continue to climb and specialty waters have emerged as a major presence on the market. Just as people prefer to eat all-natural, farm-to-table food, they now want ultra-pure water to help nourish their bodies. With more and more money being spent, people are beginning to ask more questions about what’s in their drinking water, and are taking more steps to ensure that their water supply whether bottled or tap is safe and healthy for their bodies.

Safe Water Starts with Quality Testing

Whether it’s your home or your business, safe, reliable water is crucial to your health and success. As Texas’ largest independent water testing laboratory, Nova Biologicals provides reliable water testing services with a fast turnaround time for your convenience.

Contact us if you have water testing needs or questions, and keep yourself up-to-date on water news and regulations with us on Twitter.